Lawmakers are strengthening guidelines required to garner a medical marijuana among other changes, as KRTV reports.
While the medical marijuana community says the proposed changes are too strict, the Montana Medical Association says it still leaves questions unanswered.
The bill draft requires a two doctor certification for patients with chronic pain, and increases the allowable amount from one ounce to two ounces.
The draft also limits caregivers to serve no more than five cardholders, which for businesses whose only source of income is selling marijuana, has the potential of shutting them down.
The AP compiles a list of other proposed changes:
Among other things, the new rules would:
— Ban driving under the influence of medical marijuana.
— Create more stringent qualifications for those who go into business either growing or selling medical marijuana.
— Clarify that the state’s indoor smoking ban applies to medical marijuana.
— Allow for the revocation of cards.
— Put the licensing of growers and sellers under the Department of Revenue.
If you think this ends the debate, however, here’s what Mike Dennison had to say:
But even if the bipartisan committee ends up agreeing on the draft bill, lawmakers said it would be just one step in a lengthy process – and that many more proposals are likely to come before the 2011 Legislature in response to the dramatic growth of medical marijuana businesses and users.